Columbia County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hudson, New York 12534
Friday, February 19, 1993 20:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

IT WAS A DARK NIGHT WHEN THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 3. HE STATED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE CENTERLINE, AND HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AS THE AIRPLANES' SPEED DECREASED. A FEW SECONDS LATER HE SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SWERVE, SO HE STOPPED ALL BRAKING FOR A MOMENT THEN HE REAPPLIED THE BRAKES WITH MORE PRESSURE IN THE RIGHT BRAKE AND RUDDER, AS THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS ON A ROUGH ICY AREA OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHTENED OUT AND WAS STARTING TO VEER TOWARDS THE CENTERLINE; HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO THE LEFT INTO A PILE OF SNOW COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN ADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. THE SNOWBANK WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/19/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2000
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City HUDSON
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 12534
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport COLUMBIA COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 1B1
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 197
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1950 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID ALB
Elevation of weather observation facility 285
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 20
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 20 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1245
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48178
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:08PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N999HF
NTSB Number BFO93LA031
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32-260
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-260
Aircraft Serial Number 32-663
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 19 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 28
Airframe Hours 3174
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GERALD GORMAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 450 B STREET SUITE 860
Aircraft Owner City SAN DIEGO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92101
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name STANLEY ROTHMAN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 90 HAVILANDS LANE
Operator City WHITE PLAINS
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 10605
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 44N
Departure City MILLBROOK
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1930
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 3
Runway Length 5001
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --